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Unstuff the season

It’s hard to imagine that the holiday season is already here, and just next week the shopping frenzy will start. Does that thought give you a feeling of joy — or anxiety? If we’re honest, I bet most of us become exhausted from all the shop-shop-shopping, wrapping, mailing, decorating, cooking, cleaning, guests, holiday parties, credit card charges, and the list goes on. We now have several generations who have grown up with that reality of what Christmas and the holiday season are all about.

Most people today purchase what they want anyway and already have lots of “stuff,” so it can be agonizing to find the just-right special or impressive gift that will add to the recipient’s stuff.

Wait – it doesn’t have to be that way! Remember the adage “It’s more blessed to give than to receive”? Think about how good you feel when you give from the heart, rather than from a purchase you know the recipient will tuck in a drawer or plug in the ears.

That’s what the Alternative Christmas Market is all about — a way to give from the heart, a way to make a real difference for someone, a way to feel the joy of Christmas. This year is the 29th year for the Alternative Christmas Market at John Wesley Methodist Church. On Dec. 5 and 6, over 30 nonprofits representing organizations and ministries locally, nationally, and internationally will gather to help you “honor those who have enough by sharing with those in need.” You’ll have the opportunity to make donations to those organizations in the name of your loved ones, and your gift recipient will receive a beautiful calligraphy card telling of your thoughtful and sustainable gift.

Christ Presbyterian Church is holding an Alternative Christmas Market as well, on Dec. 11 and 12.

As a member of Sustainable Tallahassee, this event is doubly important to me because our Community Carbon Fund we’ll be participating in the Market again this year. Here’s why a gift donation to the Community Carbon Fund is so valuable:

The Community Carbon Fund uses your gift donations to provide energy efficiency upgrades or retrofits to non-profit agencies in our community that work to help our disadvantaged neighbors. Most carbon fund donations aren’t used locally – here you can see the results first hand right in our own community.

The energy efficiency upgrades reduce greenhouse gas emissions – one of the goals of Sustainable Tallahassee.

The energy efficiencies reduce utility bills for the non-profit agencies, thus freeing more of their funds to provide services to clients. Big Bend Homeless Coalition’s utility bills are now lowered by $10,000 a year, which represents one-fourth of its food services budget.

The energy efficiency upgrades provide opportunities for local labor.

The Community Carbon Fund leverages your donations with energy rebates, grants, and donations of equipment, meaning that more can be accomplished with your donated dollars.

Your visit to the Community Carbon Fund at the Alternative Christmas Market can result in a gift donation that represents reducing a ton of carbon, planting of a tree to sequester carbon, replacing light bulbs, adding insulation or programmable thermostats, and much more.

So think about it. Wouldn’t you rather celebrate the holidays with more joy, less debt, and nothing to add to the landfill?

Becky Parsons is a Board Member of Sustainable Tallahassee. Contact her at rrparsons@comcast.net. “Greening Our Community” articles are brought to you by the Capital Area Sustainability Council (CASC), a forum facilitated by Sustainable Tallahassee. See www.sustainabletallahassee.org for information about CASC, Sustainable Tallahassee, and details about upcoming calendar events.